Noble Academy's Mob Character: Reborn as the Campus Heartthrob - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Insect Mother 4

“What do you want?” Qi Yuan could sense that You Qinghe’s demeanor was markedly off.

It reminded him of the first time he had met You Yuanxiu, who had initially impersonated You Qinghe in the Dreamscape.

He couldn’t help but grow wary.

As You Qinghe approached, Qi Yuan rose and sidestepped, retreating two steps for every one You Qinghe advanced.

When he realized he was cornered, Qi Yuan glanced under the bed and had an idea.

In the Dreamscape, Qi Yuan’s body was slender enough to squeeze under the bed.

Seizing the moment while You Qinghe seemed momentarily distracted, he scrambled under the bed, resolving to stay there come what may.

Qi Yuan’s sudden movement seemed to snap You Qinghe out of his daze.

He crouched by the bed and rapped on the floor.

In a relatively commanding tone, he ordered, “Come out.”

“No!” Qi Yuan retorted.

A vein throbbed at You Qinghe’s temple at the response, but he couldn’t bring himself to harm Qi Yuan.

“Are you sure you won’t come out?” he asked, forcing patience into his voice.

“Absolutely not!” Qi Yuan declared.

“Fine,” You Qinghe said, his voice low and tinged with barely restrained anger. He sounded like he was on the verge of anger, but fearing he would scare Qi Yuan, he forced himself to stand and retook his seat in the chair.

The furniture in the spacecraft was made of a special metal and connected to the ship itself. You Qinghe couldn’t damage the vessel.

If it were his own ship, he could treat it however he pleased, and no one would care. But this spaceship was communal Zerg property, representing the entire race. If he damaged it and attracted the attention of other High-Tier Zerg, the consequences would far outweigh the benefits.

As he sat in the chair, an unbearable itch surged through him, unlike anything he’d ever experienced.

You Qinghe’s grip on the armrests gradually tightened until his nails dug deep into the flesh.

His body urged him to approach Qi Yuan, an unbearable urge. Why is it so agonizing?

Sweat dripped down his cheeks as he fought against his primal instincts.

He had always acted recklessly, consequences be damned. So why, upon seeing fear in the eyes of the human raised by his Big Brother, did he now prefer to endure this torment rather than give in?

The faint metallic tang of blood reached Qi Yuan, who was hiding under the bed.

Qi Yuan knew he should remain hidden, resisting his curiosity and suppressing his concern. Yet he couldn’t control his body’s impulse to move.

He cautiously peeked out from under the bed and witnessed a scene that made his pupils dilate in shock.

You Qinghe was drenched in sweat, crimson blood seeping from the cracks between his clenched fists.

Qi Yuan smelled not only the metallic tang of blood but also a faint, cloying sweetness—not the artificial sweetness of industrial saccharin, but something pure and natural.

He couldn’t understand why You Qinghe, who had been full of life just moments ago, now looked so utterly wretched.

With a sigh, he hesitated for a few minutes before deciding to crawl out from under the bed and approach You Qinghe.

The space beneath the bed wasn’t particularly dirty; robotic cleaners maintained the room daily, leaving no corner untouched. No dust had accumulated, so Qi Yuan emerged completely clean.

“You Qinghe?”

“Are you in pain?”

He reached out and gently touched the furrowed brow of You Qinghe, who was grimacing in discomfort.

You Qinghe opened his eyes, and for some reason, his bloodshot pupils began to dilate.

Qi Yuan lowered his head, intently studying You Qinghe’s eyes.

As Qi Yuan drew closer, You Qinghe’s discomfort began to subside.

He licked his pale lips and, recovering somewhat, faced Qi Yuan with an intense, predatory gaze.

Qi Yuan reflexively covered You Qinghe’s eyes with his hand.

What had started as an unconscious gesture soon took an unexpected turn. You Qinghe, emboldened by the contact, wrapped his arms around Qi Yuan’s waist, pulled him closer, and rested his head against Qi Yuan’s stomach.

Suppressing his rebellious instincts, he pleaded in a supplicating tone, “Don’t push me away.”

“Let me lean on you for a while… just a little longer.”

“I haven’t felt this relaxed in ages.”

Without an Insect Mother, the mental state of the Zerg deteriorates over time. Many, unable to endure the escalating psychic agony, choose self-destruction.

This marked a sorrowful era for the Zerg. According to their historical records, there had never been a period where the previous Insect Mother had died and a new one had yet to emerge after a century. This was the first time in their history such a crisis had occurred.

Even the slow-witted You Qinghe now harbored a vague suspicion.

The intoxicating scent emanating from Qi Yuan’s body threatened to overwhelm him.

Yet when he recalled You Yuanxiu’s audacity—discovering the Insect Mother and choosing to conceal its existence rather than report it, intending to claim it for himself—his mind snapped back into sharp focus.

He knew that if he were You Yuanxiu, he would undoubtedly have chosen to claim the Insect Mother for himself.

High-Tier Zerg had always coveted the Insect Mother. Throughout history, countless High-Tier Zerg had died fighting over her. Unless their strength was evenly matched, who wouldn’t want to be the Insect Mother’s sole mate?

Held in Qi Yuan’s embrace, You Qinghe remained silent, ultimately not pushing him away.

Qi Yuan pulled a few tissues from a nearby table and gently wiped the sweat from You Qinghe’s forehead.

Just as he finished, the door swung open.

You Yuanxiu strode in, carrying a bag of takeout food, still disguised as You Qinghe.

Seeing the scene before him, he said nothing. Instead, he lunged forward, grabbed You Qinghe by the collar, and yanked him backward.

Having just recovered, You Qinghe was too weak to resist and was easily pulled away.

“Big Brother, how could you find the Insect Mother without telling me?” You Qinghe taunted, raising an eyebrow with a hint of provocation despite his weakness.

Hearing this, You Yuanxiu knew Qi Yuan had already learned the truth.

He pressed the badge on his chest, dispelling the disguise and reverting to his true form.

Long, black hair cascaded down his back, smooth and lustrous.

His handsome face bore a striking resemblance to You Qinghe’s; the brothers shared similar features. Yet, due to their vastly different demeanors, their shared appearance was often overlooked, and few suspected their familial bond.

You Yuanxiu: “You truly are my dear little brother.”

His eyes were dark and bottomless, his tone more wistful than mocking.

You Qinghe chuckled. “If it weren’t for your dear little brother here, Big Brother, you’d already be surrounded by the Zerg army, thrown in prison for harboring the Insect Mother.”

“Really? I never knew you were acting in my best interest,” You Yuanxiu replied dryly. “I’d mistakenly thought you wanted to possess the Insect Mother for yourself.”

“Of course I do, Big Brother,” You Qinghe retorted. “You overestimate yourself.”

“Overestimate? I’m merely stating the truth.”

The two men stood locked in a tense confrontation.

You Yuanxiu pulled Qi Yuan behind him, shielding him protectively.

After listening to their bickering for what seemed like an eternity, Qi Yuan finally snapped.

“Enough! Stop arguing!” he shouted.

He shouldn’t have let his guard down so early. He’d foolishly assumed his Dreamscape self would be an ordinary human, only to discover he was the very Insect Mother he least wanted to be. How utterly awful.

As soon as Qi Yuan shouted, the two men obediently fell silent.

The sudden quiet calmed his racing thoughts, allowing him to consider the situation. Given the Dreamscape’s perverse tendencies, his identity as the Insect Mother would inevitably be exposed sooner or later. Better to reveal it now, then.

Then he could test them one by one, to see who held the key to his escape from this cursed Dreamscape.

It’s much better to let them come to me than to go hunting them down one by one. That would be far too troublesome.

The three of them sat around the table.

Qi Yuan looked at You Yuanxiu, who was far more reliable than You Qing and You Qinghe.

“You Yuanxiu, I am the Insect Mother, aren’t I?”

Even though he already knew the truth, he still wanted confirmation.

Realizing he couldn’t hide it any longer, You Yuanxiu simply replied, “Yes.”

Qi Yuan nodded.

He continued, “Then please inform all the Zerg that you’ve found the Insect Mother.”

“Is that alright?”

Before You Yuanxiu could answer, You Qinghe interjected.

“Absolutely not!”

Qi Yuan glared at him. “Shut up.”

“Even if you tell me to shut up, I won’t!” You Qinghe retorted. “Those High-Tier Zerg are all rotten bastards.”

“As if you’re any better,” Qi Yuan snapped back.

You Qinghe: “………”

Ouch.

You Yuanxiu: “Alright.”

Hearing this, You Qinghe turned to him in disbelief.

“What are you agreeing to? How can you agree to that? Have you lost your mind?”

You Yuanxiu ignored him, but You Qinghe was too noisy.

Mimicking Qi Yuan’s tone, he snapped, “Shut up.”

“Shut up yourself! You shut up first!” You Qinghe snapped back.